


Take Back What's Mine

by sephrati



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Because Duck, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Origin Story, mild swears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-05-19 20:32:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14880738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sephrati/pseuds/sephrati
Summary: Donald T. Newton wasn't one to fall in love.A high school burnout, self proclaimed bad boy didn't really scream romance.But that was all before he met Mandy,his co-ranger,nickname giver,the only girl he's ever loved,and the reason he's laying curled up in his bed, sobbing quietly.---A look into the backstory of Duck Newton and the origins of his name, the reasons he is the person he is today, and what he's talking about when he says,"I'm going to take back what's mine."





	1. Job Applications and a Very Pretty Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first fic on here, and I apologize in advance.  
> This will be a multi-chapter story, and an update schedule is not yet set, but expect another chapter soon. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

* * *

~June 4, 1996~

Donald T. Newton looked warily at the big welcome sign spelling out “Monongahela National Forest” and sighed.

It had been a rough morning.

The past few days had been filled with weird visions of an ethereal red figure foretelling a time of when he must defeat a greater evil and fulfill his destiny. Donald had first thought he had been smoking a little too much, but even after cutting it, the visions still returned.

Really, this was the last thing he needed before he applied for a job as a forest ranger, but he pushed it aside for today and tried to focus. This job was his only really plan. He had graduated a few weeks ago, and college was absolutely not an option. After first hearing about an opening as park ranger in the Monongahela, Donald was ecstatic. A job where he just has to wander through the forest and direct lost tourists? It was perfect.

Sure, he wouldn't be able to play Tony Hawk anymore, but hey, you can't have it all.

Donald continued driving through the forest, making his way to the Rangers Office. He parked his car on the gravel road, and rolled his eyes at the sight of a small cabin adorned with a bright banner reading,  
“Ranger Recruitment Day!”

He gathered his few papers that made up his less than professional resume and looked into the rear view mirror, quickly straightening his tie and attempting to fix his newly cut hair, it now far shorter than he would have preferred.

After stepping out from his Pontiac Grand Am, a present from his parents for his sixteenth birthday that wasn't exactly welcomed, he walked up the path to the office. An older woman stood at the door and greeted Donald kindly.

“Why, hello there! You must be Donald. I'm Delilah, but you can just call me Dee. How are ya?’

Donald gave a nervous smile and replied,  
“I'm doing alright. Yourself?”

“Well I’m doing wonderful, sweetie. I'm so excited for all the new rangers. And you're just in time! Mandy is already here!”

“Oh.. who?”

Dee just smiled and lead Donald inside to the cozy office. A wooden desk sat in the corner, it’s top completely covered with stacks upon stacks of paper. Some dirty windows in need of a cleaning looked out into the forest, and a bulletin board filled with flyers and photographs hung crooked on the wall. A stone fireplace in the center of the room held a crackling fire, and near it was two worn and torn armchairs. In one sat a girl at about nineteen in two brunette braids, with honey eyes and scattered freckles across her olive skin.

She stood up as Dee and Donald came in and walked over, a bright smile encompassing her face. She reached out her hand towards Donald and quipped,  
  
“Hi! I’m Mandy.”

Donald met her eyes and felt his heart stop.  
_Oh no._  
_Oh hell no._

He felt his mind get foggy and his face erupt in pink. A gang of angry butterflies tore apart his organs and he felt himself get lost in her golden eyes.

Never in his life did he believe in love of any kind.  
A high school burnout and self proclaimed bad boy didn't really scream “romance”, but here he was, getting tripped up over a very, very, very, pretty girl.

Mandy looked worriedly at Donald, seeing him frozen and staring at her, and waved her hands in front of his face, calling,

“Hello? You good there, bud?”

Donald snapped out of his trance and sputtered out,

‘I- uh- sorry… I’m Donald.”

He reached out and shakily shook Mandy’s hand, averting his eyes.

Mandy pulled back her hand and started laughing loudly, nearly falling over. Tears filled her eyes and she choked out,

“D-Donald? Like Donald Duck?”

She got caught in a laughing fit and crouched down, trying to catch her breath. Dee chuckled and added,

“Well, y’all seem to be gettin along. I'm goin get some paperwork together while you two chat.”

She scurried away, leaving a breathless Mandy and a lovestruck Donald.

Mandy finally got herself together and declared,

“Well, I think I know what I have to do. You're new name is Duck. I think it fits pretty well, if I do say so myself.”

She patted Donald, or by her new decree, Duck on the shoulder. He looked quizzically at Mandy and opened his mouth to speak, but Dee popped up and intoned,

“Hm… Duck T. Newton. Sounds like music to the ears. I like it!”

Mandy smiled at Duck and chimed,  
“I think this will go just fine, Duck. Just think, you and me as fellow rangers, protecting the forest side by side!”

Duck simply smiled back and replied, a quick flutter in his heart,  
“Yeah. I think we’ll be more than fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> Thank you so much for taking time to read this. If you have any constructive criticism please comment, this is both a way to proclaim my love for this wonderful podcast but also become a better writer.
> 
> This is going to be a fairly long story, and my best guess is at least 15 chapters, and like I said above I'm not sure how my update schedule will go.
> 
> Thank you again for reading and thank you to the McElroy brothers for blessing us with this podcast and new arc.
> 
> Stay fresh,  
> sephrati


	2. First Days and Way Too Many Bears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After weeks of training, its finally Duck's first day as a ranger.  
> It goes just as bad as you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Hope you enjoy.

June 11, 1996

Duck awoke to streams of light pouring in from the window across the room from his bed. The warm rays infiltrated his eyelids and rudely interrupted a nice dream of his. He groaned loudly and kicked down his old faded sheets in frustration. With a job came waking up early, but more importantly for Duck, an otherwise unimpressive paycheck and days spent with Mandy.

It had been a week since his interview and the meeting of his co-ranger Mandy Andrews. While the interview went fairly well and landed Duck his job, the act of being introduced to Mandy was a disaster. After stuttering out his name, she had been encompassed in the deep void of a laughing fit thanks to his name relation to the famous Disney character Donald Duck, which led to a new nickname and a string of some very bad and somewhat scary impressions by Mandy.

This led to a new friend, his name being changed on his resume by Dee from Donald to Duck because it “had a nice ring to it”, and the whole town now referring to him as so thanks to inevitable gossip.

But Duck gladly took it all because of Mandy.

So far, the only thing he really knew about her was her name, horrifying Donald Duck impression, and her very deep love of nature, but that was fine with him. Her two dorky braids and loud laugh that echoed off the trees was enough to make Duck viciously blush. And after nearly a week of paperwork and training, it was finally their first day as rangers.

Duck glanced at the clock and his eyes widened. He was going to be late if he didn't get a move on. He hurriedly pulled on his beige pants and polo along with some old leather hiking boot and grabbed his brand spanking new ranger hat as he headed for the door.

 

* * *

 

Once in his rickety car, Duck kicked it into drive and sipped on the boiling black coffee in his thermos. 10 minutes later, Duck pulled up to the rangers office and parked his car in the corner of the dirt lot. He flew out of his car, nearly forgetting to grab his backpack, and ran to the door right as Dee pulled it open with a smile.

A frazzled Duck panted and struggled out,  
“Good- good morning Dee….”

Dee chuckled and marveled,  
“Why, look who rolled outta bed! Good morning to you too, Duck. I almost thought you weren't comin.”

Duck gave a small smile and replied,  
“Its my first day. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

In his head, Duck knew this was absolute bullshit, but Dee was his boss and the person who paid him, so-

Interrupting this thought, Mandy popped up behind Dee and grinned widely at Duck. She winked at mouthed,  
“Nice one-”

Duck blushed and smiled wider, causing Dee to raise a questioning eyebrow.  
But nevertheless, she stepped aside and exclaimed,  
“Well c'mon on, we got no time to waste. Y’all already got your first call.”

Mandy clapped excitedly and whispered to Duck,  
“Hear that? Our first call? Ain't that exciting!”

Duck held back an eye roll and responded,  
“Yep. It sure is.”

 

* * *

   
Mandy skipped in front of Duck happily, leaves crunching under her worn boots.  
The rising sun cast a glow over the forest, leaving a golden hue to the nature around them.

Mandy and Duck had been walking over the eastern corner of the Monongahela for a supposedly baby black bear stuck in a tree. Duck was convinced the entire thing was made up by Dee just for something to do, but Mandy was passionate about the possibility of saving an animals life.

To make something of the time it took to walk over there, Mandy was rattling off facts about black bears while Duck watched her with deep interest. Not because of black bears, he really couldn't care less, but because the sight of her so deep in thought.

She walked with a jump in her step, and kept her fingers idle with twisting her braids round her long fingers. Her freckled looked like spots of sun in the morning light, and her eyes danced around the sight of the many trees.

Mandy quickly listed off as many facts as she could, her pink lips hypnotizing Duck-

“Duck? Duck? Isn't that interesting?”

Duck snapped out of his state and stuttered,  
“Uh- yeah… that is.. interesting-”

Mandy giggled and continued,  
“Well, I was saying that even though they are called black bears, they can be a range of colors from brown, cinnamon, or even white-”

“Mandy-”

“And they have sharp, short claws that make them great climbers, which makes them get stuck in trees from time to time-”

“Mandy-”

“I even bet you this little bugger is completely fine but is just too scared to come down-”

“MANDY!”

Duck points up to a towering red spruce tree, that, to his surprise, holds a small black bear peering down at them.

Mandy follow his finger and spots the bear, and exclaims,  
“Well, shit!”

Duck holds back his laughter and studies the bear.  
It has a death grip on the trunk of the tree, but its hard to get a good look at it thanks to the yellowish needles and pine cones blocking his view.

He tries to think back to his training, and remarks aloud,  
“Well, it looks like it's just a baby. Mother bears usually tree their cubs to keep them safe, so I think the lil squirt will be fine.”

Mandy finishes his thought, adding,  
“I bet a hiker just got spooked and thought he was stuck. Just some good ol fashioned ignorance. Speaking of momma, she must be close by-”

They both freeze as they hear rustling in the brush behind them, and Mandy mouths,  
“Do. Not. Move.”

Duck stands perfectly still, and keeps himself from turning around.

It's a good thing he does, for a large black bear comes lumbering out, standing below her precious cub. She stands up on her hind legs, and studies Mandy and Duck carefully.

Mandy whispers,  
“Turn around, and keep your eyes on the bear, while walking towards me slowly.”

Duck follows the instructions and slowly turn around, and keeps himself from screaming as he meets the eyes of the mother. He steps back, one foot after the other, towards Mandy, and never breaks his gaze.

Once next to Mandy, they nod to each other and back up together into the lush forest, the momma watching them closely.

Finally, after a safe distance between them, Mandy and Duck escape from the eyesight of the bear and walk quickly away, breathing heavily.

After about five minutes of complete silence, the rangers sit together on a large rock and give a sigh of relief.

Mandy turns to Duck and teases,  
“For a second there, Duckie, I swear you were about to be bear meat.”

Duck huffs and retorts,  
“Well, I'm actually a decent ranger, unlike SOMEONE who couldn't spot a baby black bear in a tree literally in front of them.”

“Look who's getting all high and mighty. At least I rolled out of bed this morning!”

Duck pretends to be offended and snips,  
“Well, some people need their beauty rest- you- you-”

Duck frantically searches his mind for a decent insulting nickname, and as though the universe had heard his plea, a perfect name crosses his mind.

With a smirk, Duck yells,  
“GOOSE!”

Mandy nearly falls off the rock with laughter as she questions,  
“Goose? Did you seriously just call me GOOSE! At least Duck had something to do with your name!”

“I ain't changing it, Goose. It fits.”

“No! You don't get to decide this-”

But Duck is already walking away back towards the rangers office with a smug smile on his face, and Mandy desperately chases after him.

* * *

   
Dee’s face lights up when she sees the chit-chatting Duck and Mandy come in view of the Rangers Office. After hearing their fun adventure with the bear, Dee pulls out a Polaroid camera and orders the two to pose for their first day pictures.

After about five minutes of an amused Dee watching the two argue playfully about placement and expression, she counts down from five.

“Ok y’all. 5...4...3...2...1!”

A quick flash and snap creates a small picture now pinned up on the office’s bulletin board, showing a smiling Mandy giving bunny ears to a similarly smiling Duck, and Mandy's curly writing on the white border reading,

“First Day as Ranger’s with Duck and Goose!”

With that, the sun sets over the mountains of the Monongahela, and Duck waves goodbye to Mandy and Dee as he drives away.

Once on the bumpy dirt road, he hears his phone ring and fumbles around, flipping it open quickly and answering,  
“Hello, this is Duck-”

On the other end, he hears the familiar voice of his younger sister Jane on the landline, exclaiming,  
“Duck! How was your first day”

“You're calling me that too? Cmon Janie-”

“Hey, this is payback for calling me Janie all these years, which I've told you before NOT to do- but that's not the point. Cmon, bro, spill!”

Duck chuckled and began,  
“Well, it all started with a bear…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and a big thanks to those who dropped kudos last time! Please comment to let me know you're enjoying it.
> 
> Some little notes:  
> -Maybe someone will spot why Mandy's last name is Andrews!  
> -at this point, i know some stuff wont line up with a cannon, but this is just a storyline i enjoy and even though ill try to work stuff in (like Jane's cameo) not everything will be perfect  
> -I researched a lot about the Monongahela Forest and black bears, so everything you read is actually true! Red Spruces and black bears are commonly found there, and all the facts Mandy listed off are all actual facts. Even when they come face to face with the black bear, the tactics they used are ones recommended by actual forest rangers!  
> -It took me an awfully long time to write this thanks to the new very detailed episode that dove into Duck's backstory and all the research i did. Expect a new chapter next week though!
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for reading, and ill see you next week!


	3. Late Night Phone Calls and Crypid Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duck and Mandy can't sleep, so why not chit-chat on the phone for awhile?  
> Mandy is offended by Duck's disbelief in monsters.  
> (Dialogue Heavy Chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall! Hope you enjoy this new chapter. My birthday is this week so I wanted to get this up as soon as possible.

July 10, 1996  
  
You know that feeling when you meet someone so amazing, so soul crushingly wonderful that your thoughts are just filled with them. They were a flycatcher dripping with sweet honey and you unknowingly flew into their trap, but you don't even care. You just want to run up to them and tell them how much you love them, kiss them until you're both breathless, and run away together while also wanting to throw yourself down the nearest well and never come out.

Duck Newton was experiencing all of this at an alarming rate with Mandy Andrews, and he knew it wasn't going to stop.

After weeks of battling raging beehives, putting out far too close to call possible forest fires, and spending every waking moment together, Duck had it bad.

Real bad.  
  
Mandy was just so perfect. Every day without fail, she had her two dorky braids that framed her freckled face. Her infectious laugh echoed through the forest, her smile lighting up even the darkest of nights. Her poking and teasing of Duck never let up, and she took in stride with the new nickname she was given.

Sometimes while she and Duck were doing rounds, she’d pat him twice on the head, proclaiming,  
“Duck- Duck-”

Then pat her own head, screaming,  
“GOOSE!”

While running away, beginning a little catch me if you can game with Duck.

Their amused boss Dee said nothing about their little back and forth, and did her best to overlook the way Duck looked at Mandy with such love.

She did, however, make sure they were always scheduled together.

* * *

 

Duck now lays restless in his own bed, staring at the clock with growing disdain. It was 1 AM, and he had not been able to sleep all night. He kicked his sheets down in frustration and turned over to his other side, rearranging his pillows for the millionth time. He tried closing his eyes once again, steadying his breathing in hope of the release of a good night's rest.

Instead, his attempt was interrupted by the ringing of his cellphone somewhere in his room.

He shot up immediately, muttering,  
“Shit- where'd I put that damn thing-”

He stumbled out of bed and looked to his nightstand to see nothing but a glass of water and a book he never got around to reading. He looked around desperately, chanting curses as his phone continued ringing.

He ended up finding it in the pocket of his pants on the ground, and flipped it open, answering groggily,  
“Hello- this is Duc- I mean Donald-”

To his surprise, on the other end the honeyed voice of Mandy wavered back,  
“H-hey Duck. It's Mandy… I'm so sorry for callin you at this hour, I should go-”

Ducks eyes widened and he quickly replied,  
“No-NO! Its ok… I was already awake anyway… whats up…”

He climbed back into bed, keeping the phone pressed closely to his ear.

Mandy stumbled back,   
“O-Ok! Uh… I was just callin cause I couldn't sleep and needed someone to talk to…”

A smile encompassed Ducks face as Mandy spoke. She called him! She wanted to talk to him!

Duck nonchalantly answered,   
“Well, you came to the right place Goose. I'm always up for a good chat.”

His heart swelled as he heard the familiar giggle of Mandy on the other side as she jabbered,

“Well, I was thinkin about how it's almost been a month since we've become rangers. It's felt like years, really. Amazing ones, at that. I mean, what other job would I be able to wander through a forest all day with my best friend?”

Duck nearly gasped when Mandy called him her best friend, and sputtered,  
“Y-yeah. But don't forget, we also get to wear our rad uniforms.”

Mandy laughed loudly and intoned,  
“Of course! I can't forget about those. You do look good in your rangers hat.”

Duck swore his heart stopped entirely.

He imagined Mandy right now, perched on top of her bed, looking out into the forest from the comfort of Amnesty Lodge. He knew she hadn't been in town long and stayed in the cozy little place because it was close to the Rangers Office.

She was probably twirling her hair with her fingers like she did whenever she spoke, scrunching up her nose in that cute way when she laughed.

“Duck? You there…?”

Duck snapped out of his daze and hurriedly said,  
“Sorry! I'm here-”

“Good. I thought you fell asleep there for a second.”

“Honestly, I haven't gotten a bit a sleep in a while. I think my upstairs neighbors have it out for me.”

He winced as he heard the all too familiar banging and footsteps from above, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Mandy remarked,  
“Well, if I were you I’d just march up there and tell those fools to be quiet? What's a good ranger if he can't even stay awake!”

“Unlike you, Goosie, I'm not really one for confrontation. Who knows, they may be murderers or something. I'm not going to get in the middle of that!”

Mandy giggled again and poked,   
“Don’t be a wimp, Duck. You may get stabbed a couple of times, but you would get a good night's rest!”

“Mandy Andrews, are you calling me a wimp? Just last week I had to kill a daddy long-leg in the Ranger’s Office cause you wouldn't stop screaming.”

“Not my fault those things come from nightmares. I love nature, but I would gladly get rid of all the spiders in the world. Especially tarantulas- bigger and fuzzier than spiders ever need to be.”

“What if they had a less threatening name? Like, I don't know….. Ranchos?”

“Duck, they could be called Teddy Bears and I’d still despise them.”

“C’mon,, you wouldnt hurt something called a Rancho, would you?”

“I'm bouta hang up on someone called Duck if you don't stop talkin bout spiders.”

Duck smiled into the open night air and questioned,  
“Ok, ok, no more spiders…. well tell me Goose, where ya from? Cause I sure as hell know you aint from Kepler, and this whole mystery girl facade is gettin tiring.”

“Well, if you must know, I was born and raised in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.”

Duck stifled an incoming laugh, and he swore he felt Mandy’s glare from the other side of the phone.

“What is it, Duck? Please, inform me what's so comedic about my hometown.”

“It's just, well… you grew up in Mothman central?”

“Yeah, yeah, poke fun at it all you want. But the annual festival is a blast, and what other place would you have a naked Mothman statue in Town Square? The only thing I don’t like about it is that they have pegged the thing as a man. Who says that thing aint a woman? Hell, I would have a blast havin wings and scaring the daylight out of civilians.”

“Mandy, you're tellin me you're fine livin in a tourist trap but are worried about the gender norms of a monster?”

“So sue me, Duck! My life was completely regular. Everything was normal, it just had a lil sprinkle of some cryptid monster and lore.”

“You don't really believe in that stuff, do you?”

Duck could hear a loud gasp from Mandy, and he knew he messed up.

“DUCK NEWTON! ARE YOU _KIDDING_ ME! YOU’RE TELLIN ME THAT YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN CRYPTID MONSTERS?!”

“Uh… not really, no-”

“Not even the mothman? C’mon, that's basic West Virginia heritage.”

“I don’t know… it just seems like one big money grabber. Bigfoot, Loch Ness, Jersey Devil, Mothman…. It's just so unlikely.”

“I'm going to pretend we didn't just have that conversation. Let me ask a question now….”

Mandy’s voice slightly wavered as she asked,  
“Have you ever…. dated anyone?”

Duck blushed furiously and thanked the Lord Mandy couldn't see him.

“Uh… yeah, just last year actually. Her name was Tabitha, and I took her to Senior Prom. It was never serious or anything, though. We ended it before summer, although there wasn't really anything to end.”

“Huh… that's too bad.”

“Not really… I never really loved her or anything.”

“Well, Duck, there's a lot of fish in the sea. I'm sure you'll catch the eye of someone.”

_Yeah_ , Duck thought.  
 _You._

For the next hour or so, Mandy and Duck shared little anecdotes of their lives, asking questions and teasing each other for their childhood idiocy.

Once Duck glanced over at the clock, surprised to see it was already nearly 3 AM, and he heard the yawns of Mandy increase in number, he sadly knew he had to end their phone convo.

“Goose, I think it's best we call it a night. We do have work tomorrow.”

Mandy fought through another yawn and replied sleepily,   
“Really… cause I'm fine… really…”

Duck chuckled and whispered,  
“Goodnight Mandy. I'll see you tomorrow mornin.”

“Goodnight Duck….”

Duck sighed as the phone call cut off and he threw his phone back on his nightstand.  
After yanking his blankets back up to his chin, he closed his eyes with a smile and drifted off to sleep.

Not too bad for a sleepless night.  
Not too bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a long one, folks!  
> After writing about 1.5k words in one night and going back to edit in the morning I bring you this new chapter. Thankfully I didn't have to research as much as I did in the last one, but I did get to write some cute convos and throw in some monster lore. I love mothman so much and I thought it'd be hilarious if Mandy was from Point Pleasant, home of the infamous Man of the Sky. Expect another chapter next week, but for now I'm getting ready to celebrate my bday.
> 
> Please kudos and comment to let me know you're enjoying it!  
> Also sorry not sorry for including Ranchos, I had to make myself laugh.
> 
> Stay fresh,  
> sephrati


	4. Spilled Coffee and Uncomfortable Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duck and Mandy deal with the aftermath of their late night chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a short one folks! sorry :(

July 11, 1996 (the morning after)

 

Well, shit.  
Duck fully realized why staying up to nearly 4am was not a good idea.  
He had a pounding headache, the room seemed to spin with every step, and he looked like one of the rabid raccoons he and Mandy have spotted in the woods at night.

But, he got to talk to the possible love of his life for a few hours, so really it was all worth it.

Duck staggered into his grimy kitchen and fumbled with his old coffeemaker, waiting impatiently for the thing to turn on.  
He did have work today, after all.

* * *

 

After a solid forty five minutes of a sleepy side step trying to get out the door, Duck pulled up to the Rangers Office. He had managed to spill half his coffee across his shirt, forget his hat halfway out the door, and spent ten minutes trying to unlock the wrong car.

In short, he was thriving.

After walking into the office, he nodded to Dee and looked over fondly to see Mandy with her head down on her desk, seeming just as tired as him.

“Hey Goosie, you holdin up okay?”

Mandy stirred and glanced up at Duck with heavy dark circles under her eyes and gave a small smile, her unusually messy braids framing her face.

“Mhm. Yeah Duck, look at me. I'm doing absolutely fantastic.”

Duck was about to let out a chuckle, but Dee unexpectedly came behind him and slapped him on the back hard.

Duck wheezed and nearly fell over, and Dee boomed,  
“Why, aren't you two bubbly today! If I didn't know better, I would've thought y’all were the walking corpses of my parents!”

Duck and Mandy exchanged worried glances, and Mandy mouthed  
_“What the actual fuck?”_

Duck held back a smile and replied calmly to Dee,  
“Yeah, uh… my neighbors were very loud last night-”

Mandy added on hurriedly,  
“And the Amnesty Lodge burnt to the ground! It's just ash!”

Duck snapped his head over to Mandy and gave her a look of,  
_“ **What** are you doing?”_

Dee chuckled and raised a question eyebrow, murmuring,  
“Hmm.. I'm sure I’ve would've heard if the Lodge had burnt down… I mean, if i didnt know better, I would be thought y'all were toget-”

“WELL LOOK AT THE TIME!”

Duck grabbed his walkie talkie and started walking towards the door, motioning Mandy to follow.

“Gotta go… uh… save the forest and all!”

Mandy grabbed her own walkie talkie and nervously smiled att Dee, nearly running after Duck to get out of this very, very, uncomfortable, conversation.

After the two exited the office, Dee laughed at loud and said to no one in particular,  
“They'd sure be cute together."

* * *

 

Duck and Mandy ran down the path holding in laughter, Duck teasing Mandy with nothing held back.

“The Amnesty Lodge burning down? Really, Goose? That was the BEST you could come up with?”

Mandy tried to catch her breath and shot back,  
“I'm SORRY! I was being put on the spot! I panicked!”

“And your initial reaction is to burn the town’s Inn to the ground. Of course.”

Mandy hit Duck on the arm at about 40% power and he yelped in pain, making Mandy giggle with glee.

“Shut it, Duck. I'm too tired for this.”

“And who's fault is that?”

“Hey, I didn't hear any complaining from you last night, Donald.”

Ducks face erupted in pink and he stammered,

“I-uh- have no complaints but…”

Mandy just smiled and pulled Duck down the dirt trail hand and hand, leading him in to their next adventure.

Duck really did have no complaints.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all!  
> sorry about the short chapter, it's gonna serve as a filler as I travel and have to prepare for school. I promise I'll make it up in the next chapter! gonna leave this one short and sweet, but still drop kudos and comment!
> 
> stay fresh,  
> sephrati


End file.
